Rep. Eddie Washington

Congratulates Eugene Redmond on his 70th birthday.

Amends the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 in the Public Utilities Act. Changes the definition of "mandatory transition period" to include the period from the effective date through the date on which the Illinois Commerce Commission has approved declarations of competitive service for all classes of service offered in the service areas of all electric utilities that, on December 31, 2005, served at least 100,000 but fewer than 2 million residential customers. Requires the Commission to order certain utilities to file and implement tariffs to reinstate all 2006 rates beginning on the first day of the month immediately following the effective date. Prohibits the Commission from taking certain actions prior to 6 months after the effective date with respect to (i) initiating, authorizing, or ordering any change by way of increase or (ii) in approving an application for a merger, imposing a condition requiring any filing for an increase, decrease, or change in or other review of a utility's rates or enforcing such a condition. Provides that the Commission shall only declare the class of service to be competitive according to certain criteria (now, the Commission is required to declare the service to be competitive if the service or a reasonably equivalent substitute is available at a reasonable price from other providers other than the utility or an affiliate and the utility has lost or is reasonably likely to lose business for service to other providers). Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning prohibited transactions.

Creates the Illinois Cool Cities Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall provide technical assistance, if needed, to units of local government in the State that have endorsed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Provides that any unit of local government may request designation as an Illinois Cool City if the unit of local government has (i) endorsed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and (ii) prepared and approved a plan to achieve a 7% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by the year 2012. Provides for designation of Illinois Cool Cities upon certain findings by the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code and the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act. Provides that the tort immunity tax that school boards and local public entities are authorized to levy may also be for the purpose of paying judgments and settlements under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 and the Environmental Protection Act.

Amends the Election Code. Permits State non-partisan civic organizations that meet certain criteria to appoint precinct pollwatchers. Effective immediately.

Creates the Clean Coal FutureGen for Illinois Act for the purpose of providing the FutureGen Alliance with adequate liability protection, land use rights, and permitting certainty to facilitate the siting of the FutureGen Project in Illinois. Contain provisions concerning transfer of title to sequestered gas and associated liabilities to the State; insurance and indemnification by the State for the Operator for certain liabilities; permits; land use, including condemnation powers; and economic incentives. Contains other provisions and a severability clause. Amends: the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law concerning financial assistance; the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act concerning high impact businesses; the Court of Claims Act and the State Lawsuit Immunity Act concerning jurisdiction; and the Eminent Domain Act concerning condemnation authority. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Justice Study Committee to review all non-capital wrongful conviction cases, identify the most common causes of wrongful conviction in non-capital cases, identify current law, and identify solutions.

Congratulates Reverend Arthur J. Gass, Sr., Pastor of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Waukegan, on his twentieth anniversary of pastoral ministry.

Creates the Smoke Free Illinois Act. Sets forth the findings of the General Assembly. Creates several definitions. Prohibits smoking in public places, places of employment, and governmental vehicles. Requires "No Smoking" signs to be posted in each public place and place of employment where smoking is prohibited. Requires ashtrays to be removed from any area where smoking is prohibited. Prohibits smoking in student dormitories, including, but not limited to, sleeping rooms, dining areas, restrooms, laundry areas, lobbies, and hallways, of a building used in whole or in part as a student dormitory that is owned and operated or otherwise utilized by a public or private institution of higher education. Provides that the Department of Public Health, State-certified local public health departments, and local law enforcement agencies shall enforce the provisions of the Act. Sets forth fines for violations of the Act. Provides that the Department, a State-certified local public health department, local law enforcement agency, or any individual personally affected by repeated violations may institute, in a circuit court, an action to enjoin violations of the Act. Prohibits discrimination against individuals who exercise their rights afforded by the Act. Provides that a home rule unit may regulate smoking in public places, but that regulation must be no less restrictive than the provisions in the Act. Prohibits smoking within a minimum distance of 15 feet from entrances, exits, windows that open, and ventilation intakes that serve an enclosed area where smoking is prohibited. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Repeals the Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act.